To think that if it was France & French no one would care about a name change but because it’s Welsh…

[Letshaveablackcelebration2022]

Welsh is trending on Twitter because a lot of people don’t like the fact that the Brecon Beacons will revert to its Welsh name https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/17/brecon-beacons-relaunches-with-welsh-name-bannau-brycheiniog-as-picture-of-hope-for-future

People also kicked off when Snowdon also reverted to its Welsh name Yr Wyddfa

Aibu to really not understand the issue. I am Welsh and a Welsh speaker. It makes sense to me to call place names by their Welsh names and not by their anglicised versions if you want to protect a language and culture. Which we do.

Noone would bat an eyelid if in France their decided to only use French names. We drive in France and get by without English alternatives. So what exactly is the problem with Wales doing the same?

@potniatheron why do we call it Greece?? Ellada is no much nicer. Or even the Hellenic Republic?? (sorry off topic)

Isn't this universal though? English speakers will refer to it as Snowdon, Brecon beacons, etc and Welsh speakers will use the Welsh name. Just as we call the Eiffel Tower, the Eiffel Tower and the French call it Tour Eiffel. We refer to ourselves as English but other countries call us Angleterre.
Honestly don't see why its an issue.

@EsmeSusanOgg , in 'Sut wyt ti?', Sut is 'Sit' regardless of where you are, but in dialect you'd say 'Shw'mai?' or 'Su'mai?'
a bit like how you might say 'God blind me' as Gor blimey in the South East of London, but 'Blimey' in the North West of England.

I will continue to call them the Brecon Beacons. I can't imagine anyone taking offence at that

Not if you say it in English but with a Welsh accent perhaps - however if you sound English I expect there'll be some who pretend they haven't a clue where you mean

Personally I've no problem with the namechange, since it's their country and they can call places what they want - however I hope there won't be too much of the above

Welsh has been compulsory on the curriculum since 1988. My parents (growing up right on the English border in Mid Wales) had compulsory Welsh at school in the 50s and 60s.
Not sure what your point about other languages is…I’m fluent in Welsh and English and still did French and German at A level and studied Latin as an extracurricular. Welsh doesn’t prevent you from learning other languages, it helps!

The part of the notice that was silly was about dropping the beacon from the logo as well because it was not 'green' to show a burning brazier.
Historically that was a place for the signal beacons. That should not be lost.

That’s because saying you want to change a name just to have it Welsh again is fine and I’m on board with. Saying it’s because if climate changes however valid you know is going to piss people off, but no one would have cared if you said it’s because it should be in Welsh.

Fully agree @cormorant5

Not according to Cardiff University and the BBC pronunciation unit (certainly in the Noughties)! It is supposed to be 'should' in all cases if you're in Cardiff/ Valleys area. Which, was really unhelpful having been taught somethign different from 4 to 13

The OP seems to be waving the flag for Welsh nationalism. Is that ugly too?

This, I liked imagining it all game of thrones and Lord of the rings lighting the beacons to signal war/invasion by the English whatever

In Scotland they have spent masses on signs in Gaelic for railway stations blah blah even in areas where Gaelic was never spoken. It's a load of nonsense. 1% Gaelic speakers in Scotland.

@Stellaroses yes- I grew up in mid wales on the border too & learnt Welsh in school. I then went to Uni in Bangor which is where I learnt more. I also went to eisteddfodds as a child etc - Welsh culture was there even in a border town.

I left school in 88 so just missed it.
Not sure what u mean by my point on other languages is sorry.
I didn't choose to learn Welsh in my free time once I left school. Just as I didn't choose physics or medicine.

I'm half Welsh, my mum was from Swansea, and we went to Wales at least once a year during my childhood, it is a beautiful country. I am so pleased at this name change, very proud of my Welsh roots and I am totally bemused at some of the reactions to the name change.

@WhatATimeToBeAlive am I? Is it Welsh Nationalism to want the language and traditions of the country to be continued?

Following the renaming, the Welsh Assembly are introducing reduced speed limits on all roads in Bannau Brycheiniog and surrounding areas. The National Speed Limit will be 40 mph (50mph on dual carriageways) and current 30mph roads will become 20mph.

The aim is to improve safety and reduce the number of road traffic collisions that occur because English speaking drivers (the overwhelming majority) have difficulty reading road signs in Welsh. It has the added benefit of reducing outdoor air pollution, which is recognised by the World Health Organisation as the largest environmental threat to health.

...as reported by Wales Online Ebrill cyntaf 😉

I'm not Welsh but have family who have relocated there, and was visiting recently. Another visitor (also from England) was complaining to me that the road signs were confusing as they had two languages on - in fact they found "all the signs everywhere confusing" because of this.

God knows how they manage overseas.

I believe the pronunciations for Yr Wyddfa and Bannau Brycheiniog to be along the lines of "Er with-va" and "Ban-ai bruch-ein-eeog" respectively, with the ch in the latter being 'hard' but similar to the sound at the end of "Loch". (FWIW, will happily be corrected on pronunciation).

@JeannieAlogy yea, maybe the signs should just be in Welsh so the poor Saes don’t get confused when they visit…😅

I think it's fine to revert to the Welsh "real" name. It'll take time but it will become usual, just has it has re Mombai, Beijing etc

(I'm stuck with remembering what Everest and Ayers Rock are now called though)

I don't care about the name change at all, I've been to Wales once and have no plans to return there (I'd rather visit Scotland as I've never been there) so I'm never going to need to try to pronounce it lol!

The fuss isn't because it's Welsh it's because it's within the UK and some types want to rope it into their tedious 'anti woke' culture war because they don't see the point of it so think it has no value to anyone else and see minority languages as 'woke' and therefore bad.🙄

@DiscoDragon wait til you see the Gaelic signs in Scotland..

@Echobelly yes, exactly

@GogLais

Also confirmed by Say Something in Welsh - https://en.forum.saysomethingin.com/t/pronunciation-of-sut/2532

It is one of a few differences between different Welsh dialects - but obviously such a commonly used word/ phrase that I thought it worth flagging. As someone there points out, a lot of written Welsh was noted down by Gogs first - so is phonetic if you're from North Wales but not if you are from South Wales.